It is being called a landmark decision that the emirate of Abu Dhabi has now declared that Hindi will be its third official language. Arabic and English are the two official languages and now Hindi will be as well.
In addition to Arabic and English, Hindi will now be the third official language of the Abu Dhabi courts. This move has been welcomed across the board by Indians living in the UAE, journalists and other officials.
Indians, as well as Indian expats living and working in the UAE, feel that this is a proud moment for them. This move acknowledges the importance of the 2.6 million strong Indian expat community in the UAE; which is the largest expat community in the nation.
The aim of this decision is to improve access to justice. Since a lot of people of Indian origin who live and work in the UAE are not proficient either in English or Arabic, understanding legal provisions and other regulations can be difficult.
Some people had expected that Malayalam would be declared the third official language looking at the large numbers of people from Kerala who live and work in the UAE. The fact that Hindi was chosen over Malayalam perhaps owes itself to the fact that Hindi speakers with low or no English proficiency may be more than Malayalam speakers in absolute numbers.
Following court proceedings can also be difficult, particularly for a large percentage of skilled labourers. This move will simplify court processes and make them more transparent. It will give Indians better access to justice without the language barrier.
Hindi speakers will now be able to understand litigation processes and understand more about their rights and duties as expats living and working abroad. Registration processes will also be streamlined since unified forms will now be available through the ADJD (Abu Dhabi judicial department) website.
The Indian expat population of the UAE, which is about 30% of the country’s total population has largely welcomed the move. They feel that this will further improve cordial relations between the two nations.
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